-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There is nothing terribly surprising in Apple 's refreshed line of tablets , but that 's OK .

We spent some time testing and touching the new iPad Mini and iPad Air after Tuesday 's press conference . As promised by Apple executives , the new devices were lighter , thinner and seemingly faster -- just like many incremental product upgrades from the past .

iPad Air

There were no major new features , such as the fingerprint scanner or camera upgrade that came with the iPhone 5S .

The most unexpected news of the day was a new name for the $ 499 fifth-generation iPad , which is now the iPad Air . The iPad line has been a bit wishy-washy with names .

It began by counting each version , but then dropped the number and asked only to be know as `` iPad , '' like Cher . The iPad 2 kept its number and a spot in stores , where its slightly lower price tag -LRB- now $ 399 -RRB- might appeal to someone considering a cheaper Android or Windows tablet .

Physically , the iPad Air is indeed lighter and thinner than its predecessor . It 's 20 % thinner than the third generation iPad , measuring in at a slight .29 - inch . An ad shown at the press conference showed an iPad Air lying flat on a tablet , hiding discretely behind a No. 2 pencil . It has also dropped a bit of weight and the Wi-Fi version is now exactly 1 pound -LRB- the cellular version is 1.05 pounds -RRB- .

Unfortunately , I did n't have an older iPad on hand to do a weight comparison , and I 'd picked up an iPad Mini first . Nothing makes a regular iPad feel hefty like holding an iPad Mini . You ca n't unfeel a Mini ; it 's just so delightfully wee .

The iPad Air has a 64-bit A7 processor , the same chip recently introduced in the iPhone 5S . The A7 should benefit graphics heavy programs such as iMovie and iPhoto , and Phil Schiller claimed it would double the performance of the previous chip .

It is difficult to judge speed increases during a few minutes in a crowded room without proper tests and an equally empty previous generation device to use for comparison .

Fresh Apple products always feel zippier than previous generations . Part of that is the steadily improving processors inside , but its also the benefit of working on a new device that has n't been gradually slowed down by pages of apps , hundreds of cat videos and the latest operating system upgrade .

iPad Mini with Retina Display

The iPad Mini got its first upgrade since it was first launched one year ago .

Physically , the device is a dead ringer for the original . Fire it up , and you 'll see that it addresses one of the biggest complaints about the first version by upgrading the screen to a 2048-by-1536 display that packs in 326 pixels per inch , a big jump from the previous 163 pixels per inch . A number of Apple products already have the Retina Display : the iPhone 4S and up , the fourth generation iPod Touch , the 10-inch iPad and some MacBook Pros . -LRB- Apple says Retina Display is so good that the human eye ca n't spot out individual pixels on the device -RRB- .

Like the iPad Air , the iPad Mini with Retina has the A7 chip inside . Previously the Mini was a generation behind its larger iPad sibling in processor speed . But this upgrade and the new display put the devices on the same level , so picking a smaller screen no longer means opting for the inferior product .

The smaller tablet size is a competitive market , and the iPad Mini with Retina Display is finally Apple 's premium offering for the 7.9-inch size . The $ 399 tablet is now in a better position to take on products such as Google 's Nexus 7 , Samsung 's Galaxy tablets and Amazon 's Kindle HDX . Though other products can usually be had for much less , any hands-on time with Apple products remind you that one of their greatest selling points is solid , high-quality construction .

The missing upgrade

Shaving off excess bulk and swapping out faster processors is de rigueur for any product update these days . Other companies might throw in price drops , but Apple is comfortable in its spot at the high-end of the consumer market . It wo n't start slashing devices for its flagship devices . Instead , the company keeps older models available , though even those are priced somewhat high .

Unfortunately , there is one key feature where all the tablet makers seem to have stalled : battery life .

Faster processors gobble up more battery power , so maintaining 10 hours of battery life from an old tablet to a new tablet probably requires battery improvements . Both new iPads have the same M7 motion co-processor that handles sensors , such as the accelerometer and gyroscope , saving battery power by not using the main processor .

Other than an hour here or there , mobile devices makers seem stuck at the half-day mark , a frustrating limitation for people who have adapted by carting around chargers and scrambling to re-up anytime they spot an empty outlet at a cafe , airport or friend 's house .

For now , Apple is comfortable enough with the competition to just iterate on its well-designed , popular products , making the usual round of improvements and throwing in the occasional flashy feature to grab attention , such as fingerprints on the iPhone 5S .

It may not be as much fun for tech fans who were used to splashy new products and well-kept secrets , but it 's probably a solid business decision .

According to Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps , replacement tablet sales are growing faster than new new tablet sales worldwide . Manufacturers need to compete to keep the customers they already have who are considering upgrading from an old model .

All the tablet makers are competing with what are essentially the same minor tweaks .

The competition will stay close until the first company breaks out of the usual faster , thinner , faster upgrade cycle and solves the battery problem .

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The new iPads from Apple do n't hold a lot of surprises , but the regular improvements are solid

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The renamed iPad Air is thinner , faster and lighter than the previous generation

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With a new processor and better screen , iPad Mini catches up to the full-size iPad